East African leaders and experts have emphasised that collaboration across the region is essential for harnessing the benefits of artificial intelligence (AI) and ensuring that Africa retains control over its digital future.
Speaking at the 4th East African Community (EAC) Science, Technology and Innovation Conference in Kigali, Mahlet Teshome Kabede, the Principal Policy Officer for Science and Technology at the African Union (AU), said that AI is no longer a future concept for Africa, it is a present-day catalyst for development.
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“AI can accelerate East Africa’s development strategy if it aligns with our priorities, values, and people,” Kabede said. “But this requires people-centred policies, ethical governance, and strong regional coordination.”
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He highlighted that AI has the potential to transform sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, climate resilience, and public service delivery by improving productivity, reducing costs, and expanding access to services for communities and small enterprises.
However, Kabede warned that fragmented regulations and uncoordinated policies across countries could limit these benefits. “By harmonising AI policies, data governance frameworks, and innovation systems, East Africa can attract responsible investment, enable cross-border digital services, and build shared infrastructure that no single country can sustain alone,” he said.
Rwanda’s Minister of ICT and Innovation, Paula Ingabire, echoed these concerns, urging East African nations to be architects of AI, not mere users. She stressed that the region risks dependency if it adopts AI systems built elsewhere, trained on data that does not reflect local realities.
“The greatest risk that East Africa faces is that we will remain consumers of AI systems built elsewhere, optimized for problems that are not our own,” Ingabire said. She called for AI sovereignty, which includes keeping sensitive data within the region, ensuring AI reflects local values, protecting citizens’ rights, and capturing the economic benefits of AI locally.
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Ingabire outlined concrete steps for regional collaboration, including the establishment of a joint AI research and innovation fund to support frontier research and shared datasets, the development of regional data centers and a sovereign East Africa cloud platform to keep data within the region.
She also emphasised the need for the creation of a harmonized AI governance framework to ensure accountability, consumer protection, and cross-border AI deployment, and an AI human capital strategy to train millions of capable professionals by 2030, with a particular focus on youth and women.
She highlighted successful AI initiatives in the region, such as drone-delivered medical supplies in Rwanda, AI-assisted disease surveillance, and AI-driven fintech platforms in Uganda and Tanzania, stressing that coordinated investment and regional planning can unlock further benefits.
Caroline Asiimwe, the Executive Secretary of the East African Kiswahili Commission (EAKC), highlighted the crucial role local languages play in shaping how knowledge is produced and shared in the digital age.
“As we discuss science and technology, we cannot ignore language. It shapes how knowledge is produced, whose voices are amplified, and whose perspectives remain invisible,” Asiimwe said.
She added that in today’s AI-driven world, the issue becomes even more significant. Most AI systems rely on massive datasets, which often reflect historical inequalities. Dominant global languages are prioritized, while local languages risk being left behind.
For the EAKC, the challenge is clear: integrate Kiswahili into digital systems, education, governance, and everyday communication.
“We are looking at how Kiswahili can be at the center stage of this digital transformation. AI offers possibilities that can support translation, language revitalization, and cultural exchange, but only if we actively position our languages in the digital space,” Asiimwe said.
She noted that the preservation of local languages depends on strategic action. “AI does not work on its own. It needs datasets from our languages. It is up to us to make sure our languages are brought into the digital space,” she said. While Kiswahili is already at an advanced stage, Asiimwe emphasized the importance of also creating platforms for other indigenous languages to ensure broader participation in the digital age.
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Kiswahili’s status in the region gives it a strategic advantage. It is an official language of the East African Community, widely used in partner states, and now recognized as an official language in UNESCO meetings. The language is also a working language for the African Union. Asiimwe explained that leveraging Kiswahili can help preserve the language itself and serve as a model for promoting other African languages.
Addressing concerns about ordinary citizens struggling with language barriers in AI systems, Asiimwe stressed the need for inclusivity. “The language is a key pillar in enabling citizens to engage in national development and regional integration.”
UNESCO Regional Director Louise Haxthausen reinforced the need for ethical and human-centred AI. She highlighted the UN children agency’s AI Readiness Assessment Methodology, now deployed in six of eight EAC member states, which helps governments strengthen governance, research, and infrastructure for AI adoption.